Blue Christmas [Unabridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Mary Kay Andrews (Author), Isabel Keating (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2006

It's the week before Christmas, and antiques dealer Weezie Foley is in a frenzy to garnish her shop for the Savannah historical district decorating contest, which she intends to win. But suddenly things start to go missing from her display, and there seems to be a mysterious midnight visitor to her shop.

Still, Weezie has high hopes for the holiday—maybe in the form of an engagement ring from her chef boyfriend. But Daniel, always moody at the holidays, seems more distant than usual. Throw in Weezie's decidedly odd family, a 1950s Christmas-tree pin, and even a little help from the King himself (Elvis, that is), and maybe there will be a pocketful of miracles for Weezie this Christmas Eve.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Weezie Foley has high hopes for Christmas this year. She's working herself into a frenzy decorating her antique shop to win the Savannah historic district decorating contest; she's searching for the perfect present for her chef boyfriend, Daniel; she planning Christmas dinner for the first time for her and Daniel's families. Add a mysterious visitor to the shop and a missing Christmas tree pin and it's almost more than Weezie can handle. Andrews's delightful characters come to life thanks to Keating's reading, which offers just the right mixture of Southern twang and upbeat lilt. She nicely captures the humor that runs through the novel and the variety of characters that populate Weezie's life. The male voices tend to come across as hoarse instead of masculine, but this doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of a delightful Christmas tale full of memorable characters. This audio is the perfect gift this holiday season.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

From Booklist

For Weezie Foley, the star of Andrews' earlier novels, Savannah Blues (2002) and Savannah Breeze (2006), Christmas is the best time of year, although this year is turning out to be a challenge. Her store has some stiff new competition, and her boyfriend, Daniel, is blue about the holiday because it calls up bad family memories. Ever optimistic, Weezie is determined to overcome all obstacles and make this a great Christmas with the help of her best friend, BeBe, but strange things keep happening. Andrews gives her readers what they have come to expect from her, along with some new twists in this funny, funky Christmas story: her endearingly quirky southern characters, great descriptions of kitschy objects, a celebration of tradition, and a bit of suspense as Weezie meets her new gay neighbors and tries to figure out who is trying to sabotage her business. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Sound Library; Unabridged edition (December 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792745221
• ISBN-13: 978-0792745228
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #953,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Kay Andrews is the author of the New York Times bestselling Savannah Breeze and Blue Christmas (HarperCollins), as well as Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies and Savannah Blues, all HarperPerennial.

A former reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she wrote ten critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series, under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida (and a diplomate of the Maas Bros. Department Store School of Charm), she started her professional journalism career in Savannah, Georgia, where she covered the real-life murder trials which were the basis of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

As a lifelong ""junker"" the author claims to know the location of every promising thrift store, flea market and junkpile in the southeastern United States, plus many parts of Ohio.

She has a B.A. in newspaper journalism from The University of Georgia (go Dawgs!), and is a frequent lecturer and writing teacher at workshops including Emory University, The University of Georgia's Harriet Austin Writer's Workshop, the Tennessee Mountain Writer's Workshop and the Antioch Writer's Workshop. Her mysteries have been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Awards.

Married for more than 31 years to her high school sweetheart, Tom, she is the mother of 24-year-old Katie Abel and 20-year-old Andrew. After a three-year hiatus in Raleigh, NC, she and her husband recently moved back to their old neighborhood in Atlanta, where they live in a restored 1926 Craftsman bungalow.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blue ribbons, blue spirits and Southern charm!!, January 18, 2007

By 

jeanne-scott (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Christmas (Hardcover)

A downtown Savannah contest for best Christmas display pits two design shops against each other. Weezy wants her shop to get the blue ribbon and a decorating disaster inspires her to completely rethink her approach to winning!! Meanwhile her long time boyfriend is distracted and blue over his family and bad memories of past Christmas celebrations. As Weezy tried to set things right, items begin to disappear from her shop and her home in a frighteningly personal way.
Mary Kay Andrews breathes a Southern charm into this romantic Christmas tale.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars cheerful (except for moody Daniel) Christmas caper, November 5, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Christmas (Hardcover)

With Christmas just around the corner, antiques dealer Weezie Foley has decorated her store to look like an eighteenth century Yuletide gala in order for her to win the Savannah historical district contest. However, something odd occurs every night as someone seems to sneak into her emporium to steal an item of little value from her decorations. She has no idea who her midnight marauder is or why they purloin one article, but plans to find out whom he or she is.

Meanwhile Weezie also wants to share a joyful holiday with her boyfriend chef Daniel Stipanek, but he seems more a bah humbug than joy to the world type as he rejects her efforts. Weezie turns to her pal BeBe Loudermilk, her dog Jericho, and her certifiable family to help her learn what bugs Daniel about Christmas. Soon her two mysteries intertwine as Weezie needs a miraculous gift from the Magi if she is going to convert her beloved from being a Scrooge clone.

The latest Weezie-BeBe thriller is a blithe holiday romp that will please fans of the two zany women (see SAVANNAH BREEZE and MISSY FIT). The story line is amusing as Weezie recruits her best friend and her family to help her with Daniel. The cast is delightful, but Weezie owns this cheerful (except for moody Daniel) Christmas caper.

Harriet Klausner

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars pure fun and FUNNY!, December 2, 2006

By 

mamareadssomuch "mamareadssomuch" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Christmas (Hardcover)

More fictional fun from Mary Kay Andrews awaits you in this seasonal read! It's a short and sweet Christmas novel set in Savannah, SC with Andrews' wacky characters from previous books, Weezie and BeBe.

Weezie is determined to win FIRST PLACE for shop decorating so fancies up her store window in a 'Blue Christmas' theme. Crazy things start to happen and a mysterious woman enters the picture. It's a well-done little novel and VERY funny when Daniel's family (Weezie's boyfriend) comes to holiday meal. Dogs go wild and you can hear the food hit the floor!

If you're a reader who enjoys simple, fun seasonal reads - try this one!